Houston Astros

The Houston Astros have frequently made news headlines for their futility in recent seasons, but the club hasn't always dwelled at the bottom of the Major League Baseball standings. Although the Astros have yet to be crowned World Series champions, the club has seen a number of key moments from star players since it joined baseball in 1962 as the Houston Colt .45s. That name lasted for just three seasons before the team took the name of the Astros prior to the 1965 campaign. The team joined the American League for the 2013 season after spending more than half a decade in the National League.

Ballpark

The Astros have played in Minute Maid Park since the 2000 season, although the park has previously held the names The Ballpark at Union State, Enron Field and Astros Field. The park features a retractable roof and is on the site of the Houston's former Union Station. The park's design tips its hat to the building with an enormous train and track beyond the left field fence. When the Astros hit a home run, the train rides along the track. Minute Maid Park has an official capacity of 42,060. The Astros previously played at the Astrodome between 1965 and 1999.

One World Series Appearance

The Astros lone World Series appearance came in 2005, when the team lost in four straight games to the Chicago White Sox. In addition to winning the 2005 National League Pennant, the Astros have also won their division six times and earned a pair of National League Wild Card berths, including in back-to-back years in 2004 and 2005.

Houston Astros Roster

Although several members of the Baseball Hall of Fame once appeared on the Astros roster, none of the names were enshrined in Cooperstown wearing the Astros cap. Former Colt .45s and Astros in the hall are Nellie Fox, Leo Durocher, Eddie Mathews, Robin Roberts, Joe Morgan, Don Sutton and Nolan Ryan. Longtime broadcaster Gene Elston is also a member of the hall.

Spring Training

The Astros play the home games on their Spring Training schedule at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, FL. The park opened in 1984 but went through a major renovation project in 2003 and currently has an official capacity of 5,300. It's been the Grapefruit League home of the Astros since Spring Training of 1985. The Astros Minor League Baseball affiliates are the Triple-A Oklahoma City RedHawks, Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, Advanced-A Lancaster JetHawks, Class-A Quad Cities River Bandits, Short-Season A Tri-City ValleyCats and rookie league Greeneville Astros, Gulf Coast League Astros and Dominican Summer League Astros.

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